Coaching and mentoring standards to be unified

The ground breaking project to develop professional standards for coaching and mentoring practice is the first time an attempt has been made to engage the whole coaching and mentoring community internationally in a consultative process to bring together a standards framework that can be used as a benchmark for the future development of the profession.

A considerable variety of coaching and mentoring frameworks, codes of practice and standards currently exist within the industry, including:

- Academy of Executive Coaching - Academy Information Document
- British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - Accreditation
- Clutterbuck Associates - Mentoring Programme Standards
- European Mentoring Centre - Accredited Mentoring Certification Programme
- Executive Coaching Centre
- International Coach Federation
- Oxford School of Coaching & Mentoring
- Peter Bluckert Coaching
- University of North London & Others: Mentoring: Draft Occupational Standards

Various other contacts have also been made. The existing frameworks vary considerably in quality, scope and their level of adoption. The unified standards framework will be used as a benchmark and will also be independent of the commercial interests of any one group.

The European Mentoring and Coaching Council's initiative, in bringing together key organisations and interest groups, to share best practice in the creation of a set of unifying professional standards is a landmark event. It will have a major impact on whether the industry should be regulated and will help clients to understand fully the services on offer from providers of coaching and mentoring.

Open workshop - places still available
The standards project will commence with first interviews being conducted in association with an open workshop, sponsored by the Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, for organisations involved in the development of coaching and mentoring standards, 'Towards Professional Standards and Ethics' which precedes the '5th Practical Perspectives of Coaching & Mentoring Conference' run by OSCM:

- 2 and 3rd July, Oxford Hotel, Oxford
- Workshop: £75 + VAT registration fee
- Conference: £350 + VAT registration fee

Further details and registrations: [email protected]

Ends

Notes to editors

Briefing paper
A briefing paper for the media, discussing the initiative and the need for international standards in coaching and mentoring, is available free of charge from EMCC. Contact Pauline Willis: [email protected]

Media interviews
European Coaching and Mentoring Council representatives are available for one-to-one media briefings. Please contact [email protected]